By Nicole Thompson
A writer, athlete, Percy Jackson fan, a change maker. All those things one could say to describe Darcy Foote, a grade 10 student at Collingwood School. Before attending Collingwood the New York City born Darcy student went to an all girl private school in Manhattan before coming to Canada and entering Collingwood in grade 5. She is not only well skilled in the literary arts but a strong athlete. She enjoys running and playing volleyball along with doing service work.
When asked what she loves most about creative writing she answered, “What I love about creative writing is also what I hate about it: you can do whatever you want. Personally, I work best with strict and structured guidelines so working on a project where I have complete free reign is difficult for me but it is also the beauty of writing. It forces you to get creative while also giving you complete control of whichever path you want to take. It is an art that is truly freeing.”.
With the sea of possibilities in the world of creative writing Darcy draws from the people around her everyday. From her family;“My parents provide me with support and love and never stop believing in me and I accredit my accomplishments to their endless encouragement.” to the founder of the non-profit Obaki organization, Treana Peake. Although with so many great inspirations her biggest inspiration & idol would be Amal Clooney. An international human rights lawyer who has defended the rights of many journalists and marginalized people. As said by Darcy; “She is a strong, confident, and kind woman who is not afraid to stand up for others and it is truly inspiring.”. If Darcy could ask Amal Cooney one question she would ask; “what drives her to keep pursuing the work that she does despite the many challenges that arise.”.
Darcy is not just a writer but also an avid reader. As she started her writing journey from the opposite side of the page. She has said; “I adore reading and this in turn led to my love of the written word and my love of sharing the stories of others.”. Writing is different to many people but for Darcy writing is a tool to share the stories of others. For her it is more impersonal.
Darcy’s advice for up and coming writers is to take risks and use different opportunities to develop your writing skills. That can go from sharing your work with others to submitting your writing into contests. In Darcy’s words ; “stepping out of your comfort zone with your writing can only make you better.”.
Writing has helped Darcy develop her empathy with people through stepping into others shoes when writing from the perspective of a character. Darcy has said ; “Developing my ability to see the world through the eyes of others has furthered my desire to help those less fortunate than myself.” In the future she hopes to continue helping others and has thought of law, international work & development. With her family all in business she thinks that will also play into her decision too.
Darcy believes that in whatever she pursues she will bring writing with her. She doesn’t anticipate being an author but as she has said; “I think writing is such a fundamental skill and such an important outlet that my love of the written world will never fully leave my life.”. We are excited to see what Darcy does next and am extremely grateful for her to be part of our Collingwood community.
A writer, athlete, Percy Jackson fan, a change maker. All those things one could say to describe Darcy Foote, a grade 10 student at Collingwood School. Before attending Collingwood the New York City born Darcy student went to an all girl private school in Manhattan before coming to Canada and entering Collingwood in grade 5. She is not only well skilled in the literary arts but a strong athlete. She enjoys running and playing volleyball along with doing service work.
When asked what she loves most about creative writing she answered, “What I love about creative writing is also what I hate about it: you can do whatever you want. Personally, I work best with strict and structured guidelines so working on a project where I have complete free reign is difficult for me but it is also the beauty of writing. It forces you to get creative while also giving you complete control of whichever path you want to take. It is an art that is truly freeing.”.
With the sea of possibilities in the world of creative writing Darcy draws from the people around her everyday. From her family;“My parents provide me with support and love and never stop believing in me and I accredit my accomplishments to their endless encouragement.” to the founder of the non-profit Obaki organization, Treana Peake. Although with so many great inspirations her biggest inspiration & idol would be Amal Clooney. An international human rights lawyer who has defended the rights of many journalists and marginalized people. As said by Darcy; “She is a strong, confident, and kind woman who is not afraid to stand up for others and it is truly inspiring.”. If Darcy could ask Amal Cooney one question she would ask; “what drives her to keep pursuing the work that she does despite the many challenges that arise.”.
Darcy is not just a writer but also an avid reader. As she started her writing journey from the opposite side of the page. She has said; “I adore reading and this in turn led to my love of the written word and my love of sharing the stories of others.”. Writing is different to many people but for Darcy writing is a tool to share the stories of others. For her it is more impersonal.
Darcy’s advice for up and coming writers is to take risks and use different opportunities to develop your writing skills. That can go from sharing your work with others to submitting your writing into contests. In Darcy’s words ; “stepping out of your comfort zone with your writing can only make you better.”.
Writing has helped Darcy develop her empathy with people through stepping into others shoes when writing from the perspective of a character. Darcy has said ; “Developing my ability to see the world through the eyes of others has furthered my desire to help those less fortunate than myself.” In the future she hopes to continue helping others and has thought of law, international work & development. With her family all in business she thinks that will also play into her decision too.
Darcy believes that in whatever she pursues she will bring writing with her. She doesn’t anticipate being an author but as she has said; “I think writing is such a fundamental skill and such an important outlet that my love of the written world will never fully leave my life.”. We are excited to see what Darcy does next and am extremely grateful for her to be part of our Collingwood community.
Excerpt from A Design in Desolation by Darcy Foote
The peacock’s delicate feathers sprouted out from her audacious body as flowers and other fauna engulfed her. I was admiring the intricate detailing within the stone tympanum where the beautiful carving of the bird rested proudly. “The peacock carving is one of the star features of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus,” the perky tour guide informed us earlier. However what the tour guide failed to mention was that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus perfectly embodies the architectural style of Bombay Gothic, combining High Victorian Gothic design with elements from traditional Indian architecture. I forgave her for leaving these details out though, we can’t all be natural architects.
I left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the train station, later that day, once the tour had ended and I had filled at least a third of my notebook pages with various sketches. From here, I made my way to my first meeting with the design team for Larson & Turbo Infotech, the company whose new office building it was now my job to design.When I was offered this job that required flying halfway around the world to Mumbai, India, a city that I had never yearned to visit before, my immediate instinct was to decline.
I normally wouldn’t take on a project as modest as designing a simple office building but my desire to witness the incredible architecture in this city was too strong to resist. I had already visited the timeless Mumbai High Court, the captivating Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, and the University of Mumbai with its exceptionally elegant archways, but the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus I visited earlier today was irrefutably my favorite.
'No wonder they want a newly designed space. This building is already depressing me,' I thought to myself as I trailed after Amrita, the petite receptionist, through the drab gray hallways of Larson & Turbo Infotech. She led me to the cramped meeting room where I met Abram Patel, a short and balding man. Perhaps it was the recent international cover story that Architectural Digest published about me or the fact that I was just named the youngest female architect to receive the National Design Award but Abram Patel’s demeanor immediately changed when I entered the room.
The peacock’s delicate feathers sprouted out from her audacious body as flowers and other fauna engulfed her. I was admiring the intricate detailing within the stone tympanum where the beautiful carving of the bird rested proudly. “The peacock carving is one of the star features of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus,” the perky tour guide informed us earlier. However what the tour guide failed to mention was that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus perfectly embodies the architectural style of Bombay Gothic, combining High Victorian Gothic design with elements from traditional Indian architecture. I forgave her for leaving these details out though, we can’t all be natural architects.
I left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the train station, later that day, once the tour had ended and I had filled at least a third of my notebook pages with various sketches. From here, I made my way to my first meeting with the design team for Larson & Turbo Infotech, the company whose new office building it was now my job to design.When I was offered this job that required flying halfway around the world to Mumbai, India, a city that I had never yearned to visit before, my immediate instinct was to decline.
I normally wouldn’t take on a project as modest as designing a simple office building but my desire to witness the incredible architecture in this city was too strong to resist. I had already visited the timeless Mumbai High Court, the captivating Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, and the University of Mumbai with its exceptionally elegant archways, but the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus I visited earlier today was irrefutably my favorite.
'No wonder they want a newly designed space. This building is already depressing me,' I thought to myself as I trailed after Amrita, the petite receptionist, through the drab gray hallways of Larson & Turbo Infotech. She led me to the cramped meeting room where I met Abram Patel, a short and balding man. Perhaps it was the recent international cover story that Architectural Digest published about me or the fact that I was just named the youngest female architect to receive the National Design Award but Abram Patel’s demeanor immediately changed when I entered the room.